The concept of folding lawn and beach chairs is well known and further table-like attachments for these types of chairs are known. However, the table attachments for folding lawn and beach chairs suffer from three primary deficiencies.
First, the currently available table attachments that are positioned in front of the person sitting in the chair do not easily pivot away from the person to enable the person to get up out of the chair without removing the attachment from the chair. This is particularly inconvenient if a person desires to get up out of the chair in the middle of a meal without desiring to remove the table attachment from the chair. Accordingly, a table attachment that pivots away from the chair in a horizontal plane would be advantageous.
Second, other types of table attachments do not fold up neatly with the folding chair. They are separate attachments that must be mounted onto the folding chair each time the table attachment is used. It is often difficult or awkward to attach and remove the table from a lightweight folding chair. Thus, because the table attachments do not fold with the folding chair they severely limit the portability of the chair/table attachment combination.
Third, the table attachments currently available do not fold downward for storage underneath the seat when not in use. The attachments must either be removed or they hang down from a side of the chair which is both unsightly and poses the hazard of tripping someone walking past the chair.
Specific examples in the prior art illustrate these deficiencies.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,894,496 to Phillips discloses a table adapted for a folding lawn chair. However, the table must be mounted to the chair after the chair is unfolded and set up. Accordingly, the table must be removed from the chair and transported separately if the chair and table are to be moved.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,003,598 to Glaze discloses a tray mounted to a folding chair. The Glaze patent is an example of a tray that does not fold with the chair. The tray is pivotally mounted to one arm of the chair and would interfere with the backrest of the chair if the chair were to be folded. Thus, the Glaze tray must be transported separately from the chair and therefore severely limits the portability of the chair/table combination. The same problem is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,267,887 to Boyd. The tables disclosed in both Glaze and Brown are also disposed to the side of the chair and are useful to hold drinks and snacks but not a full meal.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,591,206 to Pribble discloses a table attachment for a folding chair that is mounted on both arms of the chair. While the table can pivot away from the person sitting in the chair to enable the person to leave during a meal, the table attachment must be disconnected from the two supports connecting the table to the arms of the chair in order to fold the chair. Thus, the table attachment of Pribble is not an integral part of the Pribble chair and makes a significant impact on the portability of the chair.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,038,451 to Smith discloses a tray mounted on both arms of a folding chair. The tray may be relatively easily removed and attached to the arms and can be used as a cafeteria tray. However, to fold the chair, the tray must be removed, the chair folded and then the tray reattached onto the arms of the chair to lock the chair in the folded position. This procedure is difficult and inconvenient especially in most picnic or beach settings.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,197,253 to Brown discloses a folding side table for a folding chair. The Brown table is not capable of pivoting away from the person sitting in the chair but instead pivots upward to one side to a vertical position before pivoting downward to the side of the chair. Accordingly, food must be removed from the table before a person can exit the chair. Further, the Brown table is incapable of folding underneath the seat to allow someone to sit in the chair with the table disposed underneath the seat. Instead, the Brown table hangs down at one side of the chair which is suitable for auditorium purposes but many consumers find this unsightly for use on a patio. In addition, people may trip on a table hanging on the side of a chair on a crowded patio or campsite.
Accordingly, it would be highly desirable to provide a table attachment for a chair including foldable lawn and beach chairs whereby the tabletop attachment may be permanently mounted to the chair and does not require dismounting or removal of the attachment in order to fold, store or transport the chair. Further, it would be desirable to provide such a table attachment that would be capable of pivoting away from the user while maintaining a horizontal configuration to enable the user to leave during the course of the meal without removing all of the food from the table attachment. Still further, it would be desirable for such an attachment to conveniently fold with the folding chair so as not to affect the portability of the chair. Finally, it would be preferable to provide such an attachment that is also capable of folding downward underneath the seat so that a user may sit in the chair with the table conveniently stored underneath the seat.